How Your Dental Health And Overall Health Are Linked

It may not seem so obvious to everybody, but your health is intricately linked to your dental health. If your teeth are unhealthy, then you are opening yourself up to many other health risks that aren’t immediately apparent.

If you’re taking care of your teeth, then you’re fine. If you frequently have cavities, infections, or other types of dental problems, then don’t be surprised if your overall health starts to suffer.

Dental health is not all about a nice smile, or nice breath. It’s about taking care of yourself in a holistic way. Take care of your teeth and you’re also taking care of the rest of your body.

In this article, I will go over several ways that your bad teeth can be detrimental to your health.

How are they connected?

We have a lot of bacteria in our mouths. Both the good kind and the bad kind. If we aren’t careful then this bacteria can end up creating an acid in our mouths that will eat away at our teeth and give us cavities.

Then you’ll either need a root canal, or have your tooth pulled. With all that bacteria in your mouth, then it is almost inevitable that a tooth that isn’t taken care of will get infected and need to be pulled.

Once the tooth is pulled, that’s pretty much it. You’ll need to have an implant or a dental bridge. How do dental bridges work at Sarasotadentistry.com? This is basically a way to use the gap between the teeth for a prosthetic tooth so you can still chew normally.

Now, if you don’t do anything about your infected teeth and let it go, then the bacteria can spread around to other parts of your body.

Heart disease

It is very strange to think that your teeth can affect your heart and when you don’t take care of them that they could cause heart problems. Heart disease is one of the main killers of people in the world. If you already are at high risk of heart disease, through blocked arteries or high blood pressure, then you need to be even more careful about how you take care of your teeth.

Plaque can build up in the arteries over the course of a few years and lead to blood flow being blocked. A lot of people understand how cholesterol leads to this blockage of the arteries. Less well known is that bacteria from your teeth also contribute.

When plaque is thick, you run the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Endocarditis

A less well known heart condition is endocarditis and is very directly related to your teeth. Gingivitis is very common in people that don’t go to the dentist regularly. This can cause bleeding of the gums.

And this bleeding gives bacteria entry into your bloodstream where it can travel to the heart. Then your heart walls can become infected.

Antibiotics can clear it up, but if left unchecked, it can be life-threatening.

Diabetes

Now, infected teeth won’t cause diabetes, but people with diabetes have to be very careful not to end up with any kind of infection.

Insulin is very important to people with diabetes and when it is taken, it needs to be able to regulate their blood sugar. Any disruptions in this process can put a patient in grave danger.

An infection can make it difficult for insulin to be absorbed by the body and this means that it has trouble lowering blood sugar levels.

When your teeth are infected, or, worse, your gums, then it opens up the possibility that your insulin won’t be able to do its job.

Pneumonia

A chest infection is very easy to get when you have a lot of bad bacteria in your mouth. After all, you are breathing in all day and surely some will get into your lungs. Usually, you have enough antibodies to fight off any possible infection. Those that are immunocompromised, however, will have a tough time of it if the bacteria are able to spread.

Pneumonia is no joke and can be very serious. Especially if it is not treated right away.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women should do everything they can to avoid infections so good dental hygiene is essential.

Excessive hormones can cause tooth decay so, in addition to visits to the obstetrician, a pregnant woman should also make sure to see a dentist to make sure that her teeth are in good shape.